Love and Hate
by song of the bluesparrow
Summary: Zuko wants to have his honor back, so he hires Combustion Man to kill the Avatar. And he captures Katara so that Aang will be unpretected. Little did he know that Katara can spark something in him like a little flame. Zutara
1. Where to go?

Katara awoke with an awful headache, and her vision was blurry. As she looked around at her surroundings, she realized that she was on a Fire Nation ship, based on the large tarp that was hanging on the cold, steel, wall. The cell's bars were rusty, and if Katara had had some water with her, she could have cut right through them! The cot she was laying on was stiff and pokey, and she wished that she were lying on Appa's soft fur. Strangely, she wasn't scared. She had dealt with the Fire Nation before, and she could do it again.

She was about to use her sweat to bust through the bars, like she had done a little while back. But, as she was about to make her attempt, a terrible sight caught her eye. Zuko was staring at her through the bars. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she had failed to notice him enter the room. She stared at him, hatred in her eyes.

"Nice to have you back," Zuko said coldly.

"Nice to be back," Katara answered, in a voice just as cold.

She watched as he approached the cell's lock, and became quite confused when he unlocked it, and motioned for her to follow him. Katara stood up, and trailed behind the young man in front of her. Her head injury still hurt, and she was becoming quite dizzy. Zuko led her to a comfortable looking room, and gave her a look, which apparently meant, "Go on in." She looked around. There was a small bed, (Yes, an actual bed,) a tiny desk, and a window, which pointed out to the ocean. Katara was still a bit confused.

"I thought I was your prisoner," she said, addressing Zuko, who seemed to be spaced out. Her voice snapped him out of his trance, and he spoke.

"You are my prisoner. You are my way of getting rid of the avatar, for good." Katara thought for a moment, about what he had just said. Then, as if it was a puzzle, she pieced it together, and understood.

"You sent Combustion Man after us? What am I? Just a way to keep Aang unprotected so that your assassin can do the dirty work? You're just a coward! If you really want Aang gone, you should do it yourself; not that I'm encouraging you!" Katara didn't know why she had exploded like she had, but he was just so infuriating!

Zuko stopped himself from yelling at her, but it took some endurance. "Do you want the room or not," he finally said, after Katara had calmed down. She looked at him, and nodded shamefully. He hadn't done anything wrong, really. He had kidnapped her, but other than that, he had been humane. He had given her this somewhat nice room, and he hadn't even yelled at her after she had insulted him! That was big news for Zuko; she had to admit! "I thought so," Zuko said as he left the room, and Katara almost thought she saw him smile as he left.

She lay down on the bed, and stared at the ceiling, completely in her own world. In her world, there was no war, no suffering, and definitely no Zuko or Azula! But, she knew that it was too good to be true. When she came back to Earth, she would be back to the war, watching villages be destroyed, watching people die, and she, Sokka, Toph, and especially Aang would be responsible for stopping it! She had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and boy, was it stressful! But, deep down, Katara knew that she wouldn't have it any other way! It was an adventure, and she had always wanted to learn waterbending, and travel around the world. Sometimes, she supposed, your dreams can come true in unexpected ways.


	2. Empty Room

When Zuko came back to check on Katara, she was sound asleep, lying on her bed, facing the ceiling. He quietly shut the door, and headed to the captain's quarters. Without knocking, he barged in on the Captain, who bowed to him as he arrived. "Are we on course," Zuko asked the man, staring out the window. The Captain nodded, and Zuko gave a nod of approval before exiting. He headed back to his room, and took a short nap.

When Aang, Sokka, and Toph awoke, they began to franticly search for Katara. "Is she here?" "Katara?" "Sugar-Queen?" The gang searched for what seemed like hours, before giving up. Sokka sat down on a large boulder, and Toph built herself an earth tent. Aang sighed and leaned against Appa, patting his bison's fur. "Where are you, Katara," he asked out loud, and the others looked at him sadly.

"I don't know," said Sokka. "I just don't know?" Suddenly, Aang jumped up and called something back to Sokka and Toph, but they couldn't hear him. They followed his footprints, hoping he knew where Katara was. But, before the gAang made it to their destination, they had an unwanted visitor!

"Combustion Man," Sokka yelled.

The metal man began to launch attacks at Toph and Sokka, both dodging and trying to fight back. "Sokka, go find Aang," Toph yelled to the warrior behind her. "I'll try to hold him off!" Sokka ran of at once, desperately trying to find his friend. Toph watched him go, before turning around to face Combustion Man.

The man directed more attacks at Toph, who tried to launch some rocks at the eye on Combustion Man's forehead, but he blew every single one up, before it even got within three feet of the eye! Toph switched tactics, building an earth tent around herself, hoping that he wouldn't be able to blow it up. Luck was on her side, because the assain was unable to attack. Toph punched a hole in her tent, and began to throw rocks, aiming through the gap. She must have surprised Combustion Man, because the rocks hit the eye with no problem whatsoever, and at his next attempt to get Toph, the attack backfired, and hit his third eye! The man collapsed, just as Aang and Sokka came flying by on Appa. Toph hopped on, and the three got as far away from "Sparky, Sparky, Boom Man," as possible! Aang never said a word about where he had been going before they were attacked, and the only thing he said the rest of the flight was, "Finding Katara might be harder than I thought."

The next morning, Katara awoke in the room that Zuko had given her. It was still a mystery to her why he had given her one in the first place, but she tried to forget about it. She looked out of the window, to see a gorgeous view of the ocean. She desperately wished to be out of this room, and be out there with her element. Then, she realized that she could bend anyway! She had been absentmindedly moving her wrists, when she happened to notice that that the water outside was splashing against the boat. She excitedly started creating waves, which tossed against the side of the ship. Amazed that she could bend through the glass, Katara continued her little "training session."

Zuko was suddenly awakened by the sound of waves crashing against the ship. He peered out of the window by his bed, and saw that the waves were only occurring around _his_ ship, not by any of the other boats in the water. He sighed and put on his robe. Zuko walked quickly down the hall to Katara's room, and without knocking, opened the door. Katara didn't hear him come in, as she was caught up in her waterbending. "Are you trying to sink my ship," Zuko asked icily, causing Katara to jump. She looked at him for a moment, disgusted that he had just barged in.

"I'm on the ship, so if I sank it, I would drown like all of the rest of you," she said knowingly. "And, have you ever heard of knocking?" Zuko once again stopped himself for yelling, and tapped his foot impatiently.

"This is my ship, and I was kind enough to give you this room. You aren't being very grateful." Katara gave him a cold look, and turned away. Zuko waited for her to say something else, but she didn't. "Aren't you going to say "thank you," peasant?" The only response he received was a whimper, and he then noticed that she was shaking, crying silently. Zuko had never had much experience with girls, and he didn't know what to say. "Katara," was all that he could think to say.

"Go away," Katara choked out through her sobs. Zuko didn't hesitate to go. He left quickly, and shut the door quietly behind him. When she was sure that Zuko was gone, Katara wiped away her tears, and looked back out the window, her gaze fixed on the sky. "Where are you, Guys," she asked out loud, but of course, the only answer she received was her own voice, echoing in the somewhat empty room.

Hours later, Zuko was alerted by the Captain that the ship had docked, and Zuko went to retrieve Katara. This time, he knocked, and Katara opened the door. "We have arrived in Azulon," Zuko informed her, and Katara followed him out to the deck. All at once, she recognized a familiar face in the crowd of people gathered around the ship. The girl she saw rushed up to Zuko, and embraced him tightly, causing the crew to laugh. Surprisingly, Zuko didn't yell at them, and hugged the girl back. "I've missed you, Mai," Zuko said, and Katara was shocked to realize that Zuko and Mai were a couple. Zuko seemed to forget about Katara standing there until she spoke up.

"Um, are we going to go to the palace soon?" Zuko looked at Katara, suddenly realizing that she had been standing there the entire time. He nodded, and handcuffed her, so that she would be unable to bend. He led her through the many people, and right up to the palace gates. Katara looked up at the tall, shiny, gates of the Fire Lord's palace, and gulped, hoping that she wouldn't have to meet Zuko's father.

Zuko seemed to read her mind, because he said, "You won't meet Father." Katara nodded, and sighed with relief. She followed him into the palace, and stared in awe at the tall, marble, pillars that filled the main hall. Zuko seemed to notice that she was admiring the architecture, because he stopped for a few moments, giving her time to look. Katara paused at the end of the hall, and looked at the large painting of the Fire Lords that were hanging on the wall. The first one that she recognized was Fire Lord Sozin, the one who had started the war. It was hard to believe that the sour-looking man in the portrait was once best friends with Avatar Roku! The next picture was of Fire Lord Azulon, who had mysteriously died a few years before. He looked friendlier than Sozin, but her still had a grumpy expression on his wrinkly, pale, face. The last one was of Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko's father was the youngest looking Fire Lord, but like his father and grandfather, he had a cruel look on his face. Katara supposed that when Zuko got his portrait hung here, he would have the same expression. She turned to look at the young prince, who was waiting for her by the door. When she got a good look at him, she figured that if he didn't have that scar, he would have been quite handsome. She tried to get that thought out of her head, as she walked over to him, and waited patiently for him to notice her, since he seemed to be thinking about something.


	3. No more Palaces

When Zuko realized that Katara was standing there, he asked her, "What do you think of the palace so far?"

"It's nice," she replied simply, but Zuko knew better. He knew that Katara thought it was amazing, but she was too proud to admit it. He motioned for her to follow him, and he led her to a room with a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a candle, which was lit brightly. He glanced at the room, and then back to Katara, who got the point. "I get this room?" Zuko nodded, and without saying another word, turned to leave. But as he was about to shut the door, he heard Katara say something.

"What," he asked.

"I said thank you," Katara answered, and Zuko felt himself smile at her words.

"You're welcome," he replied, before shutting the door.

When Katara woke up the next morning, she was refreshed and ready to face whatever challenges she would face today. She gave the room a better look, and found that it was a quaint little room. It was quite plain, with a small mirror on the dresser, and a tiny box of ribbons to tie up her hair.

She found herself wondering why Zuko would give her such a nice room. He had said it himself. She was merely his prisoner, a way for Combustion Man to find Aang, and succeed in his mission to kill him.

She shook that horrible thought from her mind, and pulled open the dresser. Katara was shocked to find that the dresser was full of dresses, in various colors and sizes. Why would he give her all of this? She assumed that she was supposed to wear one of them today, and she wanted to. She hadn't gotten to wash her current outfit for a few days, and she hated being dirty. She began to sort through the beautiful gowns, and selected a lovely blue kimono with navy, lace, trim. She held it up in front of her, and saw that it was her size. After putting on the dress, she found that the back of the door had a large, full body mirror attached to it. Katara stood in front of the mirror, and twirled around. The gown flared up as she spun around, and Katara loved how it looked. Then, she saw that her hair was full of knots, from not being combed for a few days. She grabbed a hairbrush from the dresser, and combed her hair until it was silky and shiny. She took a blue ribbon from the box, and tied her hair in a bun. She admired herself in the mirror, before sitting on the bed, waiting for Zuko to come retrieve her for breakfast.

About twenty minutes later, Zuko was dressed and ready to get Katara for breakfast. He rapped on the white, wooden, door, and when Katara opened it, Zuko gaped at her, his mouth hanging open. Worried, Katara exclaimed, "If I wasn't supposed to wear the gowns in the dresser, I'm sorry! I just saw them, and I figured that I was supposed to-." Zuko held up his hand to stop her. His mouth was still hanging open, and he abruptly shut it.

"No, it's fine. It looks beautiful on you," he said truthfully, as she followed him down the hall. Katara realized that she was falling behind, and she ran back up to his side.

"Zuko, if I ask you a question, will you answer it truthfully?" Zuko stopped, and looked down at her.

"It depends on the question," he answered, and he began walking again. Katara was trying to figure out how to word her question. What she truly wanted to ask Zuko was, "Why did you side with Azula at Ba Sing Se?" But she was too frightened to ask him that.

Katara thought of another question that she had. "I noticed yesterday in the main hall, that in every Fire Lord's portrait, they were all frowning. Don't people in the Fire Nation smile in paintings?" Zuko stopped again.

"That's kind of an odd question," he stated out loud. Katara said nothing, waiting for him to answer. Zuko soon realized that she was awaiting his response.

"Um, it's kind of hard to smile when the entire world is at war," he finally said. "Fire Lords are in charge of the Fire Nation, and it can be pretty stressful." Katara frowned.

"But the Fire Nation started the war." Zuko sighed, and stopped walking once again.

"At this rate, Katara, we'll get to breakfast tomorrow night." Katara smiled at his statement, and began to giggle. Zuko felt a small smile grace his lips, but he kept walking. "Katara, I will tell you this _before_ we get to breakfast. It is traditional for the servants and the Royal Family to eat separately, but it is also traditional in the Fire Nation for benders to eat separately from non-benders. You are the only servant in the palace who is a bender, and I will assume that you don't want to eat alone, so I am going to eat with you." Two things confused Katara. First, she thought that she was just a prisoner, not a servant. Secondly, she once again questioned Zuko generosity. Why would he eat with a servant? It made no sense. She voiced one of her questions.

"I thought I was a prisoner." Zuko kept walking, ignoring her. This she understood. "Your father doesn't know about Aang being alive, does he? He thinks that you kidnapped me to be a servant?" Zuko nodded. He was quite embarrassed. She was pretty smart for a… wait, how old was she?"

"How old are you," he blurted out, and he caused Katara to stop this time.

"15," she answered, and kept moving. When they reached the breakfast room, Zuko sat down on one of the cushions on the floor, and Katara seated herself as far from him as possible. She truly didn't want to become close to him, as she had trusted him once, and he had betrayed her. She would not be made a fool of again. Zuko seemed a tad confused about why she was seated so far from him, and he was about to ask when the chefs brought out the breakfast. A bowl of blueberry oatmeal, Liechi berries, and Jasmine Tea were just a few of the things served. "Thank you, " Katara told the chef, who bowed to her. Zuko didn't thank them, and Katara asked him why.

"They're servants. I don't have to thank a mere peasant. I'm a prince." Zuko sneered at her stupid question.

"I'm technically the princess of my village in the South Pole. My father, Hakoda, is the chief." Katara was a little disturbed to know that royalty in the Fire Nation didn't respect their subjects. "I treat everyone in my tribe the same." Zuko was surprised to know that the people of the other nations were so…weird. "But," Katara carried on. "We don't have palaces anymore. We haven't had them since the war began." Zuko waited for her to continue, but she never did.

"Why don't you have palaces anymore?" Katara looked at him icily, and looked down.

"I would prefer not to go into it with someone whose family is responsible for this war," she replied coldly. The chill in her voice sent a shiver up Zuko's spine.

"Please, tell me," Zuko begged. He had always loved history, but the history books in the Fire Nation left out the other nations pasts. Katara was shocked. He was truly interested? She sighed, and moved over next to him, an action that seemed to confuse Zuko. He sat quietly, waiting for her to begin her story.

"Well…" she began. "The Southern Water Tribe used to be great, maybe even greater than our sister tribe, at the North Pole. We had many waterbenders, masters who could do anything with water. But all of it changed when the war began. The Fire Nation came back, time after time. Every time they would take more of our benders away in chains, making our tribe small and unprotected. Eventually, they captured the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, and once there was no one to protect us, the Fire Nation destroyed our great city; destroyed our palaces, our homes. In time, the people of my tribe became so terrified of the Fire Nation that they split up into several villages, hiding themselves from the Fire Nation. That was when my grandmother, Kanna, was a young girl. Now," her voice cracked. "My tribe is on the brink of extinction. I am the only waterbender in the entire South Pole."

Zuko sat, eyes wide, next to her. He couldn't, and wouldn't believe that his nation had done something that terrible. He had been taught that the war was the Fire Nation's way to share their greatness with the other nations, but now he wasn't so sure.

Katara stood up, and brushed off her dress. "I've lost my appetite. Thank you for the company, Zuko." Katara rushed back to her room, one thought recurring in her head. _"I won't trust him again."_


	4. No Invasion

Aang steered Appa, as Aang, minus Katara, flew over the Fire Nation, being careful not to fly into plain sight. Katara usually helped Aang conceal Appa, but with her gone, he had to do it himself. Sokka sat, sprawled out on the fuzzy beast, behind Aang. He held up the map that he was studying, and pointed to three locations. Aang peeked back at him for a second, before turning back to face the direction that his bison was flying. "What are those places?" Aang asked Sokka, who was still lying behind him. Sokka looked up abruptly, and suddenly looked very official. Toph rolled her eyes. Even though she was blind, she had a pretty good feeling that Sokka was acting smart at the moment.

"Very funny, Toph," Sokka said, staring into her cloudy eyes. Toph laughed, and Aang smiled. His smile broke when Sokka turned around to talk to him. "These places," he said, "Are Fire Nation camps. If Katara was captured by a soldier, she would have been taken to one of these three campsites." Aang looked the map over, before looking at Sokka.

"These places are miles apart," Aang sighed. "If we check all three of them, we'll be flying for weeks. We still have the invasion, you know." Sokka looked back at Toph, who looked at Snoozles, (her name for Sokka,) worriedly. "What?" Aang asked. The other two looked at him, and Sokka moaned.

"This is going to difficult, isn't it?" he asked Toph. She nodded, and Sokka glanced at Aang, who was sitting cross-legged, waiting for Sokka to explain to him what was going on. "Aang, land Appa," Sokka sighed. Aang hopped back to the reins, and began to direct Appa down, toward the deep forest below them.

"What's going on?" Aang asked the others, as the three of them set up camp. Sokka was starting a campfire, while Toph and Aang set up tents. Toph said nothing, and glared at Sokka.

"You had to look at the map," she hissed, and Sokka dropped the firewood that he was holding.

"You're blaming me?" he exclaimed. "We would have had to tell him eventually."

"Tell me what?" Aang broke in, and his companions stopped arguing to look at him. They had momentarily forgotten that he was there, and they motioned for him to sit down. The two benders, plus Sokka, sat down around the small fire that Sokka had managed to build. Aang looked at his friends, and waited for them to tell him what was going on. Sokka glanced at the young earthbender who was seated next to him, and mouthed, _"You tell him."_

Toph, forgetting once again that Aang was there, shouted, "Me? You're the "Idea Guy!" Sokka slapped his forehead, leaving a red mark where his hand had struck.

"You're worse than the nomads!" he yelled.

"What nomads?" Toph yelled back. The two of them were getting way off topic, and Aang was beginning to become impatient.

"Can one of you please tell me what's going on?" he shouted, sending a blast of wind toward Toph and Sokka. The wind caused their hair to stand on end, and Aang burst out laughing. "That's why the monks were bald," he said, and his friends gave him nasty glares.

"O.K, Toph. Please tell him, before we get blown off the face of the Earth!" Sokka sighed, and Toph nodded. She would give in- this time.

"Well, Aang. We've been thinking, and we think we should… cancel the invasion." She said the last part so quietly, that Aang and Sokka could barely hear her. But they heard. Aang heard.

"What!" he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat in the dirt. "Are you too crazy?" He turned to Sokka. "Sokka! It was your plan! Why do you want to cancel it?" Sokka looked down sheepishly.

"I'm not doing it without my sister. Not without Katara."


	5. Meditation

Aang stood, his mouth hanging open, his feet frozen to the ground. They had gotten it all planned out; they had allies. And now, they were just going to forget it? The solar eclipse would be their only chance to invade the Fire Nation before Sozin's Comet arrived, and there was no way he could find a firebending teacher before summer's end! There was just no way!

"Toph, do you feel the same way?" Aang asked her. Toph looked at him with a cold, hard, stare.

"We can't do it without her, Aang. You know that we can't."

"We can and we will," Aang said icily. He wasn't just going to give up! Why did they want to? He knew that he was being selfish, but they had the perfect team! They didn't have to forget the whole thing! They had him, of course. He had three of the four elements on his side. They had Sokka, who could do great things with a sword, and his trademark boomerang. They had Toph, the greatest earthbender in the world. And, they had Katara. She was a waterbending master, a healer, and… wait, they didn't have Katara. They couldn't invade without her! They couldn't do it! He let that thought sink in, before he whispered, "We can't do it." He slumped to the ground, whispering, "We can't do it," over and over.

"Aang, I know you're a little upset right now," said Toph. "But get up. Something's coming toward us." Aang jumped to his feet, and got into a fighting stance. Sokka grabbed his sword, and Toph surrounded herself in an earth suit. The thing Toph had heard suddenly emerged from the darkness, and the second it stepped into the light, Aang gasped.

"Porcupine Bear!" he shouted. The beast was a large, furry, bear with sharp, brown, quills covering its body. The bear let out a ferocious roar, and leapt up Aang, who jumped out of the way before sending a large burst of air at the bear. The wind hit the bear directly, and it charged toward Sokka, who bravely stuck his sword out in front of him. "Sokka, that thing is covered in spikes! Run away!" Aang yelled toward his friend. Aang shut his eyes, knowing that Sokka was about to be Spikka, instead. But, before the beast could touch Sokka, Toph launched a boulder at the bear, which couldn't dodge fast enough. The big rock tossed the creature into a tree, and gaang grabbed their supplies and jumped onto Appa before their bear friend could free himself from the rock's grasp. Aang looked down at the forest, before looking back at Sokka's map.

"Sokka," he said.

"Yeah, Aang." Sokka looked at his friend.

"Let's start at this campsite," Aang replied, pointing to the closest area on the map. Sokka grinned and took Appa's reins.

He turned Appa in the correct direction, and said with a somewhat-cool voice, "Yip, yip." Appa grumbled noisily, and the three humans laughed.

"Let's find Katara," Aang said, as Appa flew off in the right direction. He was looking forward to this new adventure, and, who knows? He might find his firebending teacher along the way! Too bad Katara wasn't at any of the campsites that the gang would be visiting.

Katara woke up the next day, to the sun shining in through her window. She could see the pond in the courtyard, and decided that she would explore the grounds today. She had only been to the breakfast room so far, and that wasn't the most exciting place, especially after her chat with Zuko the day before.

She walked over to the dresser, and looked for another blue dress. Unfortunately, there wasn't one, and instead, Katara picked out a pink one. It was kind of poofy, but there was no way she was wearing red! Katara looked at herself in the mirror, and gasped. She had never realized how good she looked in pink!

She grabbed a pink ribbon from the box, which, she now noticed, had the Fire Nation emblem engraved on it. She tied her hair in a ponytail, and found a pair of white, dress slippers in the back of the dresser. Why there were shoes in the dresser, she didn't know, but she didn't question it. Her outfit was complete, and she sat on the bed, waiting for Zuko to retrieve her.

When Zuko awoke, he heard Katara noisily going through the gowns in her dresser. He put on his robe quickly, and waited for his servants to come in to do his hair. They always insisted on doing it for him, and he never refused. So, after what seemed like hours, the servants finished putting his hair in a topknot, and he went to get Katara for breakfast.

As they walked to breakfast, Katara stayed far ahead of the young prince. She was trying to avoid talking to him, and so far, she was doing a pretty good job, as Zuko wasn't even trying to catch up to her. She basically led him to the table, but sat as far away from him as she could, once again. Today, however, Zuko didn't seem to mind, and they ate silently.

After the meal, Katara walked briskly back to her room, and as she was opening her door, Zuko tapped her on the shoulder. "Do you want to come meditate with me?" he asked slowly. Katara stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head "yes." As she followed him to the meditation room, she examined the walls of the palace. On the walls were paintings of dragons, and other mystical creatures. Katara barely noticed when he stopped in front of the room, and ushered her inside.

"How do you meditate?" Katara asked, finally talking to him. Zuko stopped what he was doing, and stared at her.

"You've never meditated?" he asked her, seemingly shocked.

"Aang does," Katara replied, looking around the dimly lit room. Zuko thought for a minute, apparently trying to figure out how to explain the process of meditation.

"Um. Just try to clear your mind," he said simply, before crossing his legs and closing his eyes. In less than a minute, he was completely useless to her, caught up in his "mind clearing." Katara sighed and tried to copy him, but she had no idea how to "clear her mind."

She just sat there for a few minutes, desperately trying to "clear her mind." Soon, she gave up, and quietly inched her way to the door. She turned the doorknob, and tried to open it without creaking. She held her breath as she snuck out the door, and let out her breath when she accomplished her task.

She looked back at the door, making sure Zuko hadn't heard her leave. She wandered around the palace, searching for the door that led to the outside courtyard. She must have walked around the palace twenty times before she found it.


	6. Nightmares

She stepped out in the daylight, and took in the beautiful sight that was the courtyard. The grass was the greenest she had ever seen, and the plants were tall and well watered. She looked at the many exotic plants that were grown only in the Fire Nation. There was a garden maze, which she wandered through for a half hour before she found her way out. At the end of the maze, there was a pathway, which Katara followed. She didn't know where it led, but she was curious to know. The path was made of bricks, and there were short plants growing at each side. When the path ended, Katara let out a gasp of surprise and happiness. For, at the end of the path, there was a…

It was a pond. Katara stepped toward it, and laughed as the turtle-ducks quacked at her. They swam around in circles on the crystal clear water of the pond, their mother keeping a close eye on them. Katara looked around the area. A large hammock was tried to two tall trees, a thick grove of trees blocked the palace windows from view, and Katara realized that she could waterbend here. No one would be able to see her from those windows, so it was perfectly safe. She stared at the baby ducks, and smiled when they swam over to where she was standing.

"Do you want to play?" Katara asked them. The ducks quacked happily, and Katara grinned. She began to sway the water back and forth, slowly at first, and then faster and faster. The ducks caught them selves in the pathway of the water, and Katara pushed them back and forth, up and down. The ducks continued to play with her, and Katara completely lost track of time. Only when a harsh voice from behind startled her, did she realize how late it was.

"Katara? What are you doing?" Zuko cold voice sent a chill up her spine. She turned around quickly, and the water she'd been bending lashed out and hit Zuko in the head. Katara gasped, and quickly put her hands to her side.

"Sorry," she said, so quietly that it was difficult to hear her.

Zuko tried to wipe the water off of his face, but his hands were wet also, and it did no good. "You are such a nuisance," he griped as he led her away from the pond. He was dripping wet, and, for a firebender, that wasn't fun.

Katara followed closely behind. Zuko was being quieter than usual, and it was bothering her. She attempted to ask him what was wrong, but he wouldn't answer her. By the time the two of them reached their rooms again, it was totally dark. The only things that you could see in the courtyard were the moon and the stars, shining brightly. Katara walked quietly into her room, deciding that it was a bad idea to question Zuko anymore. Zuko waited until she had her door shut, and crept back outdoors. He couldn't see anything, so he lit a small flame on his palm, and wandered toward the garden maze.

Zuko could walk this maze with his eyes closed. When he reached the pond, the hammock was the first thing to catch his eye. He walked slowly toward it, and lay down. The stars above him shone brightly, and a tear escaped his eye. He drifted into a deep sleep, filled with nightmares of his past.

_Zuko found himself staring into the water of the pond. A young boy sat beside him, with a beautiful, dark-haired woman. It was himself, when he was 10 years old, with his mother. Zuko, himself, was invisible to the two illusions, but he knew the day well. _

"_Mom," he heard his young self say. "Do I have to tell Azula how to solve the maze?" His mother looked down at him, and smiled._

"_No, Darling, you don't have to. You may keep it a secret, just between us." Little Zuko grinned, and he and Ursa stood up and walked back into the palace. Zuko found himself smiling at the memory. It was too bad that the good times that he and his mom had wouldn't last much longer._

_The scene changed, and Zuko saw himself again, sitting on his bed, his blanket grasped in his hand. He looked up as Azula entered the doorway._

"_Dad's going to kill you. Really, he is." Zuko looked at his sister cruelly. _

"_Ha-ha Azula. Nice try," __Zuko said. Azula strode into the room. _

"_Fine, don't believe me, but I heard everything. Grandfather said dad's punishment should fit his crime." Azula changed her voice to imitate Fire Lord Azulon. "You must know the pain of losing a first born son, by sacrificing your own!" _

" _Liar!" Zuko yelled at her. _

_Azula plopped down on her brother's bed. "I'm only telling you for your own good. I know, maybe you could find a nice Earth Kingdom family to adopt you."_

_Zuko clutched his blanket tighter. "Stop it, you're lying. Dad would never do that to me." The sound of his mother's voice startled the real Zuko, who turned to the doorway. _

"_Your father would never do what to you? What is going on here?" Ursa stepped into view, and Azula put on her sweet and innocent face._

"_I don't know," Azula said sweetly._

" _It's time for a talk," Ursa declared, grabbing Azula by the wrist, and dragging her out of the room. _

_Zuko heard his younger self whisper, almost chanting, "Azula always lies," and he found himself saying it as well._

_In an instant, the scene changed yet again, and Zuko saw that he was still in the same room, but it was late, and the room was pitch black. His mother opened the door, and crept in._

"_Mom?" little Zuko whispered sleepily, rubbing his eyes._

" _Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done," his mother whispered, hugging him. "I've done to protect you. Remember this Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are." His mother pulled her hood up, and walked out the door, giving her son one last glance. _


	7. War Rooms

_Once again, the scene changed. Zuko saw himself, about 13 years old, walking through the garden maze, followed by a girl. The girl had long, ebony hair, and skin as pale as the snow. Her pink lips were curved into a smile, and her golden eyes sparkled with excitement. "Xayla?" Zuko whispered. _

"_Zuko, where are we going?" Xayla asked Younger Zuko, who was now pulling her along. Zuko didn't answer, and dragged her to the pond. At first glance, Xayla's eyes grew wide. "It's beautiful," she breathed._

"_It was my mother's. She had the maze built so that she and I could come here with no one disturbing us. And," he said. "Now, I want you to have it." _

"_You're giving me the pond?" Xayla asked incredibly, a smile on her face. Zuko nodded, and Xayla hugged him tightly. _

_The scene changed to that same day, only it was dark out, and Zuko and Xayla lay in the hammock, counting the stars. "You see that star over there?" Zuko asked her, pointing to the largest star that they could see. Xayla nodded. "Well, do you know who it reminds me of?" _

"_No, who?" Xayla asked, obviously amused. _

"_You."_

"_Me? Why?"_

"_Because, it shines so brightly in a time of darkness and despair, its beauty like a flame that can never be extinguished, or like a dream that can never be given up on." _

_Xayla grinned and kissed him gently on the lips. "I will always love you," she whispered. "Always." _

_Zuko felt a tear run down his cheek, before the scene changed again, and Zuko saw himself again, this time 14 years old. He was arguing with some guards in front of his father's war room._

"_Let me in!" The guards shook their heads, and blocked the young prince from the door._

"_Prince Zuko, what's wrong?" an older voice said, and Zuko watched his uncle walk over to the angry boy._

"_I want to go into the war chamber, but the guard won't let me pass!" Zuko's voice broke slightly, as he was clearly very disappointed._

"_You're not missing anything, trust me. These meetings are dreadfully boring." _

"_If I'm going to rule this nation one day, don't you think I need to start learning as much as I can?" Zuko asked his uncle, who thought it over._

"_Very well. But you must promise not to speak. These old folks are a bit sensitive, you know."_

"_Thank you uncle!" Zuko exclaimed bowing to his uncle._

"_You never should have let me in, Uncle," the real Zuko said quietly, as he followed the two illusions into the war room. _

_The war room was pretty… warish. The chamber was temple-like, with a throne toward the back, surrounded in flames. A red, carved, statue occupied the back wall, and Fire Nation Generals were huddled around a large map of the Earth Kingdom. Zuko's father sat in the throne listening to the generals bicker._

"_The Earth Kingdom defenses are concentrated here," one of the generals said, pointing to a location on the map._

"_This is a dangerous battalion of their strongest earthbenders and fiercest warriors, so I am recommending the 41st division."_

"_But the 41st is entirely new recruits. How do you expect them to defeat a powerful Earth Kingdom battalion?" an older general argued._

"_I don't," the other general replied coldly. " They'll be used as a distraction while we mount an attack from the rear. What better to use as bait then fresh meat?" _

_Zuko jumped out of his seat. "You can't sacrifice an entire division like that! Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?" Every general in the room looked at him sternly, and his father shook his head and frowned from inside his fiery domain._

_The scene changed again, and Zuko saw Xayla standing by the pond, alone. Younger Zuko came up behind her, and tapped her on the shoulder._

"_Xayla?"_

"_You had to talk, didn't you?" She turned to face him. "You should have kept quiet." She stepped toward him, and said loudly, "You never think! You just do whatever you want and don't think about the consequences!" Her voice cracked. "What if you lose?" she said quietly. "He'll kill you."_

"_My father wouldn't allow the general to kill me. You know that." Xayla seemed shocked. _

"_Are you serious? You know as well as I do that your father would have murdered you if Ursa hadn't stepped in! You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your mother!"_

"_Don't you dare talk about my father!" Zuko roared, startling Xayla, who fell backward into the pond. She stepped out soaking wet. Her dress stuck to her skin, and she gave him a disgusted look, before stomping away. _

"_Xayla, I'm sorry," Zuko called after her. She turned around, and Zuko saw that her face was blotchy and red from crying, and she whispered so softly that Zuko could barely hear her. _

"_I've lost my father and my brother to this war. I couldn't bear it if I lost you too." She fell to her knees in tears, and Zuko ran over to her._

"_You won't lose me. I promise." Xayla smiled._

"_No matter what happens tomorrow, I will always love you. Always." _


	8. Betrayed

_Once again, the scene changed. Zuko found himself in a large, rectangular arena, while his 14-year-old self was practicing for his Agni Kai. The crowd in the stands was talking excitedly, and Commander Zhao, Princess Azula, Iroh, and Xayla sat in the foreground. Iroh and Xayla looked nervous, but Zhao and Azula looked anxious. Azula was grinning from ear to ear, and Zhao had a huge smile on his face. _

"_The general won't kill him, will he?" Xayla asked the princess nervously. Azula stopped smiling and looked down at the older girl. _

"_The general?" Xayla nodded, and couldn't figure out why Azula seemed so surprised. A knot tightened in her stomach._

"_Why, is Zuko dueling someone else?" Azula pointed to the Fire Lord's throne. It was empty. Xayla's eyes opened wide in shock. "Wait, you mean he's dueling…" _

_Zuko took off his ceremonial cloak, and turned to face his opponent. When he saw his father standing before him, he froze in horror._

_While Zuko watched himself plead with his father, his eyes wandered over to Xayla, who sat, frozen in fear in her seat, her face buried in Iroh's shoulder._

_Zuko suddenly found himself placed in his younger body. He was going to feel the pain, the shame, the humiliation, all over again. He looked back at Xayla again, who was shaking all over, tears soaking her face. "Go Xayla!" he screamed at her. "Leave!" Xayla rushed out of her seat, running for the door. _

"_I'm sorry, Zuko!" she yelled to him just as Fire Lord Ozai said, "You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher." The stadium was silent, and the only sound that could be heard was Zuko's agonizing scream, as he was scarred for a second time._

Katara awoke to the sound of a hammock creaking back and forth, and when she went to the pond to investigate, she found Zuko asleep, tears streaming down his face. He kept whispering something, a name. _Xayla?_

Katara was afraid to wake him up, so she began to bend. In time, she was lost in her own world.

_The scene changed yet again, and Zuko saw himself, a few days after the duel, a bandage over his bad eye. He was standing next to Xayla._

"_Promise me you won't forget me," Xayla said softly._

"_I promise. When I capture the avatar, I will return home to you." Xayla had tears running down her face, and Zuko gently wiped them away. _

"_When I come home, my throne won't be my prize. I would have you over my throne any day."_

"_I will always love you, no matter where you are," Xayla said tearfully, as Zuko boarded his ship, and watched his country and his lover drift out sight. _

_The scene changed one last time, and Zuko saw himself again. It had been a few months since his banishment, and Zuko saw himself opening a letter. This letter had changed his life forever._

_The letter was from Xayla, and it read this._

_**My Dearest Zuko,**_

_**I am sorry to inform you that I have fallen in love with another man. His name is Wang, and he is a Fire Nation soldier. I no longer love you, Zuko. I am to marry Wang in a few months, and I hope you understand. I will always cherish the time we spent together.**_

_**I want you to have the pond back, as I no longer need it. I'm sorry that we had to end this way, but it is how it must be. Good-bye forever.**_

_**Xayla.**_

_Zuko fell to his knees, and cried. She had betrayed him, and, he would never forgive her._


End file.
